About DCA

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has been an advocate for our state’s communities since its creation in 1977. In 1996, the Governor and General Assembly merged the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority (GHFA) into DCA, and the job of providing safe and affordable housing became part of the agency’s mission. For four decades, DCA has helped communities spur private job creation, implement comprehensive plans, develop downtowns, generate affordable housing solutions and promote volunteerism.

But DCA is much more than statistics. We work hard. We help people. We make a lot of good things happen across our state. To get an idea of what we do, please take a minute and a half to watch our “Spirit of DCA” video.

But, at the end of the day, we have one goal: To help build strong, vibrant communities.

The DCA toolbox:

Funding:
Local, state and/or federal funds can be tapped and leveraged to build or create something a community has deemed important: sidewalks, roads, parks, public buildings, water and sewer facilities, housing choices or economic development projects.

Incentives:
Tax credits, low-interest rate mortgages and first time homebuyer down-payment assistance programs are in this category. All of these things can make it easier for the private sector to invest and fill a need that a community has identified, but does not have the financial means to deliver.

Partnerships:
Partners – private for-profit or non-profit entities, quasi-governmental agencies, or another government agency – can help communities achieve a goal.

Technical Assistance: DCA employs experts in many different fields that can help communities make decisions and develop the best strategies to meet local goals.